Cleaning compound



Patented Sept. 15, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WA 3. ENGLISH, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ABBIGNOR OI ONE-HALF T SOTIIB C. BTAIOULIS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS CLEANING OOIPOUND In Drawing.

M invention relates to improvements in fabric treating preparations generally, and

1 has for its' primary object the provision of a preparation which will remove the gloss or 5 shine from fabric,-particularly trousers and the like.

It is a well known fact that after a considerable period of use trousers develop a shine produced by a wearing-0E of the nap of the cloth. The up-shot of this situation 1s that the garment has to be cast aside by the particular dresser long before it is worn out.

While the primary object of this invention is to remove this gloss or shine,yet it is also an object of the invention to provide in the preparation cleaning properties in addition.

The invention further contemplates a preparation of the character specified which Is very inexpensive, easy to compound and which will not spot, discolor or otherwise injure the fabric,-and further one which is non-inflammable, non-poisonous and non-injurious to the person of the wearer.

The invention also resides in the method of compounding the preparation and in certain novel features of combination of the elements of the composition and in the elements themselves, all of which will be readily understood and a preciated by those skilled in the art u 11 re erence to the following detailed descriptive matter.

In carrying out the invention the following ingredients are used:

Irish potatoes 1 pound. Water 1 quart.

The preferred mode of compounding the pre aration may be described as follows:

' irst the potatoes are peeled, after which they are washed and dried with a cloth. Next the potatoes are, sliced into small pieces or squares of about inch size. The potatoes out up, as mentioned, are poured into a vessel oontainin the quart of cold Water. The vessel must he covered to. protect the liquid from dust or dirt. To secure the best results the vessel in which the potatoes are placed should be enamel or the like, as a bare metal vessel tends to give off matter which 1989. lerial I0. 859,408.

is absorbed by the preparation. The potatoes are allowed to stand in the water for hours. However, approximately every 2 hours the potatoes should be mixed or crunched with the hand, the best results being obtained by stirring the potatoes in ad- ;iition to the crunching thereof, just referred At the end of the 20 hour period indicated, the water will have assumed a very dark 00 brownish color,-rather closely approaching black. This is poured off into bottles or vessels and the remnants of the potatoes thrown away. The resultant liquid which is poured off is the cleaning preparation.

Same results can'be obtained by allowing the potatoes in the water to stand still for 36 hours without any crunching with the hand.

The a plication of this resultant liquid to the s is made by means of a stiff brush, 7 the liquid being poured into a pan and a brush frequently dipped thereint'o so that the arment, spread upgn a fiat surface, referab y a glass ironing ard, may be wel saturated with the liquid. The brush is preferably a 15 rather stiff brush having horse-hair bristles;- although other t pes of stiff brushes can be used satisfactori The garment is rubbed briskly with the liquid saturated stifi brush for about two and one-half minutes. When 30 first commencing the rubbing operation, a I slight white foam will a ar upon the garment. The brush shouhlfi dipped into the cleansing liquid often enough to kee the said foam present for about two and onealf minutes of brisk rubbing. At the completion of the period referred to, the garment will be given one or two brisk rubs to make sure that the foam, at the surface of the garment, has been removed after which the garment will be allowed to dr and then pressed. The shine surface wil be completely eliminated and will not return, although of course, the wearer after a month or so of use of the suit will redevelop a shine surface.

Sometimes a garment gets shiny from neglect of tailor leaving iron or pressing machine long time on, then suit or garment does not require cleaning, but simply removal of the shine only.

Referring to the cleaning li .uid, it is to be observed that when it is allowe to stand there settles in the bottom a white cloudy substance of a depth of about of an inch in a halfpint flask. Above this white cloudy substance is a much darker substance occupying a depth in a half-pint flask of approximately of an inch. Above this is a rather dark I Protein (nitrogen X 6. 0.37% Ash (mineral matter) 0.25% Reducing su are as dextrose 0. 13% Other carbo ydrates and a little fibre 0. 10%

Total solids 0. 85% Water 99. 15%

Total 100.00% Total nitrogen 0.59% Amide nitrogen 0. 36%

For preservative purposes I may add a small quantity of sodium benzoate,say oneeighth A oz. by weight to a quart of the h uid.

By a litmus paper test of the liquid slight acidity is indicated.

I am aware that some eflorts have been made heretofore to evolve a preparation for restoring the nap of fabrics and for removing the shiny surface thereof. However, heretofore a strong acid, such as carbolic, acetic has been used in large quantities, the result is the production of a ring around the area treated or at certain points within the area due to disproportionality of the acid and the alkaline component. No such difliculty attends the use of my composition which may be used upon a part or the whole of a garment without leaving a single blemish thereon."

In my opinion, application of my preparation softens the thread and causes same to swell, thus loosening the fibre which is impregnated to a limited extent with the solid content. The brushin in addition to expediting the action re erred to loosens external fibres, producing a new nap.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure byLetters Patent is:

1. The method of delustering fabric by friction of the surface after Wetting with the 

